


So Many Stars Tonight

by heckinshutup



Category: Mean Girls (2004), Mean Girls - Richmond/Benjamin/Fey
Genre: Crushes, F/F, Fluff, I Will Go Down With This Ship, Making Out, karen is so pure
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-26
Updated: 2018-08-26
Packaged: 2019-07-02 16:14:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15800091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heckinshutup/pseuds/heckinshutup
Summary: “You alright, Caddy? You’ve looked off this whole week,” Janis said during their movie night with Damian.“I like someone,” Cady whispered shakily.





	So Many Stars Tonight

**Author's Note:**

  * For [FandomisOhana](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FandomisOhana/gifts).



> @FandomisOhana requested a soft and pure cady/karen fic in the comment sectoction of my texting fic, and i couldnt help but write it! thank you so much for the idea dude! 
> 
> anyway, hope yall enjoy!

The months between Spring Fling and the end of school were a mix of ups and downs. Regina realized all her mistakes and went out of her way to apologize to everyone. She even started working on being a nicer person. She hadn’t perfected it yet, but her friends and the student body noticed change and were extremely patient with her. Janis forgave Regina and started to become noticeably pink around the blonde. Damian hadn’t changed much, but he gladly welcomed the plastics to his lunch table with Janis and Cady. Gretchen got less anxious around Regina and became comfortable around the group surprisingly quickly. Aaron came out as gay and apologized to Cady for leading her on. Cady took it easily after she realized she didn’t like him that much. It didn’t seem to everyone else that Karen changed, but Cady noticed she got cuter every day. From not knowing how to spell orange, to calling Cady because she couldn’t find the sunglasses that were on the top of her head, Cady got a bubbly feeling in her stomach that she remembered having when she first met both Janis and Aaron. She brushed it off before Janis confronted her about it.

“You alright, Caddy? You’ve looked off this whole week,” Janis said during their movie night with Damian. The boy had left the basement to get refills on popcorn. Janis knew that Cady was more comfortable with her and that Damian would make a big deal about Cady liking someone. Cady bit her lip and looked away. Janis gently held Cady’s hand and looked at her. “If you don’t want to tell me, I completely understand.” She gave Cady a reassuring smile before turning back to the movie, not letting go of Cady’s hand. Cady sat quietly and weighed her options. On one hand, Janis was very open with Cady and would accept her no matter what. But on the other, Janis might be upset with Cady for liking a plastic, even if Karen is the nicest of the three. Cady shook her head. She was being stupid by doubting Janis.

“I like someone,” Cady whispered shakily. Janis looked over at her and smirked. She proceeded to poke Cady until she fessed up on who she liked. Cady pretended to pout before she bursted into giggles. She knew Damian would be back soon, so if she wanted to say something she’d have to make Janis wait. “Let’s wait for Damian, okay?” Cady looked at Janis with hopeful eyes. Janis nodded and waited for Damian to return. Once the boy planted his feet on the floor, Janis exclaimed the news.

“Cady likes someone,” the punk shouted. Damian put his hand to his chest in mock shock and sat on the couch. He didn’t say anything, he only looked at Cady with a smile bigger than the kids Cady sees at Build-A-Bear. Cady rolled her eyes at him and ran a hand through her hair.

“Promise you guys won’t be mad?” Janis cocked her head to the side at the question.

“Why would we be mad? It’s not Regina, is it? Cady you know I li-”

“It’s not Regina!” Cady cut Janis off. Janis and Damian flinched at Cady’s outburst. “Sorry guys, I didn’t mean to yell.” Cady’s best friends nodded their heads in understanding. “I like Karen.” Cady averted the gaze of Janis. She knew the punk had a past with the plastics and even though they forgave the three and gladly welcomed them into their friend group, Cady knew Janis could hold some grudge against the girls. Janis, however, surprised Cady with her reaction.

“Damian,” Janis proudly said, “you owe me ten bucks!” Damian sighed before putting a crisp ten dollar bill in the punk’s outstretched hand.

“Wait, what?” Cady asked. She looked at the faces of her two best friends. Damian spoke up after a moment of silence.

“Janis and I had a bet on who you liked. We both noticed how you act strange around the plastics. Also by the way, your face gets redder than your hair at lunch. I said you liked Gretchen and Janis said you liked Karen. Now, I have ten dollars less than I had before.” Damian crossed his arms and slouched against the couch. “However,” he sighed, “we support you in every way. Just please don’t ruin the poor girl? Karen is way too pure for this evil world.” Damian had quickly grown protective over the youngest plastic. Cady giggled and nodded her head.

“Wait,” Cady said after a few minutes of watching the movie, “Janis do you like Regina?” Janis stiffed before relaxing.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Cady turned to Janis, but the other girl stared straight ahead at the TV.

“Before I told you guys who I liked, you asked if I like Regina, then you started to say that I know you like…. her before I cut you off.”

“Shit,” the punk cursed. “Yeah, I like Regina. I have since middle school. We had a cute little relationship before she got scared of what other people would think and started the rumor that I was a lesbian. To be honest, I think she never stopped liking me, but I can’t just ask her about it.” Damian looked at Cady like he was encouraging her to encourage Janis.

“You know,” the redhead started, “Regina does blush around you. And when you look away, she bites her lip for a second.” Cady winked at Janis, who turned bright red. “I think you should give it a shot.” Cady and Damian both nudged Janis until she agreed to make a move.

“Fine, okay! I’ll tell her how I feel.” The punk gave in. The three hugged on Damian’s couch and continued their movie.

On Monday, Cady picked Karen up for school. The ex-plastic was just too dumb to be able to drive for a long time, but Cady had no problem picking her up. “Have I ever mentioned I like your car?” Karen asked while Cady was driving. “It’s nice and blue and when you stand next to it, it brings out your eyes!” Cady giggled and glanced at Karen, who was grinning at her. Cady brushed Karen’s comment on just her being nice. Karen complimented her all the time when Cady was a plastic, why should this comment be any different?

“Thank you, Karen! Your poop emoji pillow really brings out yours! Wait, I mean... ugh.” Cady mentally slapped herself.

“I know, right? I love it so much!” Karen bounced in her seat excitedly. Cady sighed happily and stared back at the road. The pair rode in silence before Karen turned on the radio. “Ooh! I love this song,” the blonde said. A generic pop song played through the speakers, but Cady didn’t complain. She stole glances at the girl next to her, her smile growing wider. Eventually, they pulled into the school parking lot. Cady and Karen walked into school together, sadly parting so they could get to their classes before the bell rang. 

“See you later, Karen!” Cady waved at Karen. Karen waved back and smiled. Cady watched the blonde as she walked away. She shook her head before turning around and walking the opposite direction.

The classes before lunch dragged on for what felt like an eternity for Cady. She spent the few hours thinking about Karen and if she should confess her feelings. When the bell rang for the final class before lunch, Cady darted to her locker and shoved her books inside. She walked quickly to the cafeteria. After a few minutes of waiting in line, the redhead finally got to sit next to Karen at their table. The blonde greeted Cady with a warm smile and sparkling eyes. Damian and Gretchen sat down in their usual spots after a moment. The group talked about their day and teased Aaron, who sat at the table next to them, for sitting next to his teammates. The whole cafeteria went completely silent when Janis and Regina walked in holding hands. Janis looked nervous, but Regina looked calm and collected. The new couple strut to their table and sat down. The cafeteria erupted into chatter and all their friends congratulated the two.

Regina and Janis getting together was the biggest thing that happened for months. It took the group a little while to get used to Janis and Regina being touchy and cute with each other, but they got used to it. Cady talked more about Karen to Janis and Damian. She eventually told Gretchen, Regina, and Aaron about her crush. They thanked her for trusting them and swore to not say anything. During this, Cady picked Karen up for school and dropped her off after school every day. She felt terrible keeping her secret from the girl she loved, but she didn’t want to risk their friendship.

One morning, Cady noticed Karen was quieter than usual. She glanced at the blonde, who was staring at the road and biting her lip in concentration. “You alright, Karen?” Cady asked. Karen shook her head. Cady pulled into the nearest parking lot and pulled into a parking spot. “Do you want to talk about it? It’s okay if you don’t. I just want you to know I’m here for you.” Cady smiled reassuringly at Karen. The blonde took a deep breath and looked at Cady.

“Cady,” the blonde whispered, “I-I’m bi.” Cady let out a shaky breath and hugged Karen. The blonde buried her head in Cady’s neck and started to sniffle. “I thought you’d hate me.” Karen tugged on Cady’s shirt and breathed in her scent. Cady tried to not melt right there.

“Why did you think that?” The redhead pulled away from Karen and cupped her cheek with her hand. Karen looked away from Cady and sighed.

“I don’t know. I just really enjoy our rides to and from school and I was worried this would change that, but I wanted you to know.”

“Karen, I guessed you were bi when Regina and Gretchen said you slept with eleven people. They didn’t say ‘girls’ or ‘boys’, they said ‘people’. And, if it helps, I’m bi too.” Cady smiled at Karen, who returned the smile with another hug. “Thank you for telling me and being able to trust me.” Cady and Karen sat in the parking lot in silence. “So,” Cady began, “do you wanna ditch school? Go to the mall? Maybe get some ice cream?” Cady laughed nervously, but Karen nodded and said it’d be a good idea.

The two enjoyed their day together. They laughed until their sides hurt, Karen teased Cady when the redhead got a brain freeze, and Cady even bought Karen a necklace with a silver heart and a small pink jewel in the middle. They ended their day by watching a movie. Since it was a Friday, Cady asked Janis and Damian if they could have movie night at her place. She also asked if Karen could join and made the deal even by letting Janis and Damian bring Regina and Gretchen. Cady invited Aaron, but he had a guy’s night with the other football players. The six spent the night joking with each other and cuddling, the latter being mostly Janis and Regina.

Exams came and went. After the last day of school, Karen waited for Cady at the redhead’s blue car with a bright smile. She held up her phone with the website the students could see their grades on pulled up. “Cady, look!” the blonde exclaimed. “I got an 85 in chemistry!” Cady’s jaw dropped. She pulled Karen into a hug and lifted the blonde off her feet.

“Karen, I’m so proud of you! See! You’re incredibly smart!” Cady and Karen spent the drive home singing pop songs at the top of their lungs. Karen was into it the most, dancing as sexily as she could in the leather seat. Cady stared more at Karen than she did the road, but drove safely. She pulled into Karen’s driveway and parked the car. She waited for Karen to get out of the car, careful to not show her red face to the blonde. She felt a pair of lips press into her cheek before the car door opened and Karen exited the car. Cady was almost too frozen to wave goodbye at the blonde. The redhead spent her night wondering if the kiss was friendly, or if it meant something more.

In the beginning of summer, Karen hosted a pool party with their group of friends. Cady spent most of the party with Janis and Damian. The trio joked in the sun while the ex-plastics spent their time chatting in the pool. After hours and dozens of empty soda cans, everyone but Cady had left. Cady and Karen had been trying to plan a sleepover for the past week, and agreed that the night of the party would be the best night. They didn’t rush to get out of their bathing suits and sat at the edge of the pool with their feet dangling in the water. Karen stood up and walked towards a switch. Cady started to question her before the blonde flipped the switch.

Cady sat amazed at hundreds of twinkling lights turned on. Fairy lights had been strung between the numerous trees in Karen’s backyard. Cady spent what felt like hours staring into the many lights. The lights were the closest things to stars she’d seen since she moved from Africa. She noticed her vision grow blurry as a tear slid down her cheek. Karen cautiously walked back over to Cady and pulled her into the middle of the pool. The two stood there, Cady still looking at the lights while Karen stared at the redhead nervously.

“Do you like it?” the blonde asked nervously. Cady nodded her head, too speechless to say anything. “I remembered how you would always talk about missing stars when you first became a plastic. Regina and Damian helped me set these up. It took a while, but I really hope it was worth it.” Karen bit her lip and looked up at the lights. To her, they were pretty and shiny, but to Cady, they were the most amazing thing anyone has ever done for her.

“This is totally worth it,” Cady whispered. Karen looked back at her with a hopeful expression. Cady managed to look away from the lights only to see them reflected in Karen’s beautiful dark eyes. The two girls stood staring into each other’s eyes. Karen slowly reached out to grab Cady’s hand underwater. Cady gasped as she was pulled closer to the blonde. Karen furrowed her eyebrows in thought. She never broke eye contact with Cady, and the redhead wondered if her blush was visible in the lighting. She decided that this was the perfect moment to tell Karen how she felt. “Karen, I-”

Cady was cut off by Karen’s lips on hers. She stood stiff for a moment before leaning into Karen and deepening the kiss. Karen gently pushed Cady until the redhead felt the wall of the pool dig into her lower back. Cady wrapped her arms around Karen’s neck, while the taller girl rested her hands on the redhead’s waist. Cady moaned quietly when Karen rubbed circles on her thigh. The two eventually pulled away from each other. Cady and Karen had matching dopey expressions. Cady eventually looked away.

“Wait,” the redhead said, “you like me back?” Karen giggled. “Since when?”

“Since Spring Fling. No one had ever called me rare before, and I realized over the past few months that you saw me for more than my body. You saw me for me. And I’m not too smart, but I’m smart enough to notice you gave off the signs of liking me.” Cady groaned. Of course she was obvious. “Hey, don’t get on yourself. You being obvious really helped me accept that we could be something. I mean, if you want to? I really like you a lot, Cady. You mean so much to me.” Cady looked back into Karen’s eyes. She had never heard the blonde be so serious about anything before. The redhead grinned at Karen and kissed her again. This time, however, the kiss was slower than the first.

Caddy poured dozens of promises into that kiss. She promised to love Karen forever by holding the taller girl’s hand. She promised to cherish Karen by cupping the blonde’s cheek with her hand. She promised to be patient with Karen by pulling away to place a small kiss on the blonde’s nose. After what felt like hours of making out, the girls found themselves sat at the edge of the pool again, this time holding hands. Cady leaned her head on Karen’s shoulder and the blonde leaned her head against Cady’s. The two sat in a comfortable silence, the only sound being the playlist Gretchen had made for the party playing softly.

Eventually, the two packed up the speaker and trash and moved into Karen’s room. Cady and Karen took turns taking a short shower before climbing into Karen’s bed. Karen looked at Cady in the dark.

“Do you, uhm,” the blonde whispered, “do you want to cuddle?” Caddy giggled at the blonde’s nervousness. She cherished that Karen wanted to be careful with her. Without speaking, Cady turned and moved into Karen. The blonde wrapped her arms around Cady, who enjoyed being the little spoon. The girls fell asleep, not caring what problems were ahead of them, only knowing that they’d be with each other every step of the way.


End file.
